Jim Pressman, Gender Reporter.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Democratic Governance for Development Phase II Project Reformulation Stakeholders Consultation [March 26- April 5, 2012] enters its day 9 and final session Thursday April 5 at the Abuja Sheraton with the theme “Gender Mainstreaming and Women Empowerment.”
Stakeholders will at the talk-shop identify the mid-, short- and long-term issues, needs, opportunities and potential strategies, and carry on a step further the discussion on “Strategies and Approaches for Effective Gender Mainstreaming and Political Empowerment of Women.”
At the Thursday April 5 session which begins at 9 am at the Abuja Sheraton venue, a battery of notable foot-soldiers in the vanguard of activism to effect gender mainstreaming in our national life will be on hand to delve into institutional priorities. Lead Discussant will be Amina Salihu, with other participants including Abiola Akiyode, Oby Nwankwo, Mustapha Ciroma, Saudatu Mahdi of WRAPA,
Abiola [WECON, WEP, FOMWAN, DEC, LEADS, GADA], Mrs. Ejiro Otive, Mrs. Esther Adeyemi (Ministry of Women Affairs), Omowumi Asubiaro-Dada. Other discussants are Maureen Lance-Onyeiwu, Equity Advocates/Gender on the Balance boss Ene Ede, Rekiya Momoh-Abaji, and Iheoma Obibi.
There will also be another Roundtable, to be led by lawyer-activist and academic, WACOL boss Dr. Joy Ezeilo. Their discussion will centre on “Political Party Engagement,” and will be joined by Abiola Akiyode, Oby Nwankwo, Mustapha Ciroma, Amina Salihu, Saudatu Mahdi, Mrs. Ejiro Otive, Mrs. Esther Adeyemi (Ministry of Women Affairs), Omowumi Asubiaro-Dada, Maureen Lance-Onyeiwu, Ene Ede, Rekiya Momoh-Abaji, Iheoma Obibi, and Abiola [ plus representatives from WECON, WEP, FOMWAN, DEC, LEADS and GADA].
Other topics for thrashing out by the roundtables are: Promoting Women’s Participation at the State and National Level, Target stakeholders and advocacy strategies, and Measuring women’s political empowerment and gender mainstreaming.
The sessions will round up Thursday afternoon, with a Debrief by the staff of Democratic Governance for Development (DGD) project, co-facilitators of the Abuja Phase II Project Reformulation Stakeholders Consultation.
